September 10, 2018

5 Questions With…Timo Maaranen

1. Where were you/what did you do before working at Seriously?I have been working with games for over 14 years now. It all started when I founded Frozenbyte. Back then, I was an artist, but gradually found out that I like programming a lot more, so I joined Digital Chocolate and started working with mobile games as a programmer. While working there I specialized in server programming and before joining Seriously, I worked at Rovio, Housemarque and EA in a similar role.

2. What is your current role at Seriously?I’m a senior server programmer specialized in game servers. I work on one of the game teams designing, developing, and maintaining game servers. Game servers are normally used for things like synchronizing players’ game states between gaming devices and cheater detection. They also enable various social features in games, like gifting, chatting, and matchmaking. With some games, especially when the players play together in real-time, the game servers also run the core game logic to, for example, make sure no one is cheating.

3. What’s your favorite part about your job?I like solving technical problems. Because game servers are usually large and complex systems, the problems there are especially interesting. Building a game server that is capable of serving millions of daily active players without being too slow and also not costing a fortune is a challenge, but a challenge I like. Ultimately, being able to give the players a good experience by building an efficient game server is very satisfying.

4. Who is your favorite Fiend or Slug and why?I think Howie is my favorite Fiend, not just because of his accent, and not just because he is a lizard, but because he is a lizard wizard! Sometimes programmers are also considered to be wizards, the keepers of arcane powers, so there is this connection between us. Sadly I’m not (yet) even close to being a wizard as awesome as Howie.

5. When you are not working at Seriously or playing Best Fiends, what do you enjoy doing?In my free time I play mobile and console games, watch documentaries, and read books. Occasionally I work on a RC car, fix stuff around the house, do some programming, and grow fruits and vegetables. I also enjoy nature and the things living in it.